Materials dispensing shower head device



Get. 19, 1965 J. P. MILLS ETAI. 3,212,716

MATERIALS DISPENSING SHOWER HEAD DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1965 INVENTOR.

JEROME P MILLS BY WILLARD J CAVANA HOWARD w. VEHME United States Patent 7 3,212,716 MATERIALS DISPENSING SHOWER HEAD DEVICE Jerome P. Mills, Willard J. Cavanaugh, and Howard W. Vehmeier, Phoenix, Arizn, assignors to J. Mills Tool & Die Co., Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., a corporation of Arizona Filed Sept. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 310,060 2 Claims. (Cl. 239318) IT his invention relates to a materials dispensing shower head device and more particularly for a materials dispensing shower head device for use in shower bath installations and such a device which is very simple and economical to manufacture and very reliable in use.

It has been recognized that shower bath installations may utilize the shower head assembly wherein means is provided initially to dispense liquid soap or other materials into the water stream projected upon a person taking a shower bath until sulficient soap or equivalent material has been dispensed to the person taking the bath, whereupon the person may readily and quickly switch the operation of the device so that it dispenses only rinsing water for final bathing purposes.

Prior art shower head assemblies capable of performing such functions have been complicated and relatively expensive.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a soap dispensing shower head device which provides for dispensation of liquid soap into a water stream and upon a person taking a shower so that the person may initially dispense soap upon himself through the regular shower nozzle whereupon the switching of a simple valve mechanism may be accomplished at the desired time to shut off the soap and dispense only rinsing water through the shower head-nozzle assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple and economical soap dispensing shower head device which may be produced in large volume at a very low price and which employs very simple and reliable mechanical features which are very simple and easy to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel valve mechanism for soap dispensing shower head devices which may in one position provide communication between a soap container and may also provide a flow restriction in a Water flow passage through the device, thereby creating a low pressure are-a by means of said restriction to aspirate liquid soap out of the soap container and into the shower water flow stream.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel self-dispensing shower head device having a very simple rotatable valve assembly having novel flow restricting features which may concurrently be caused to crease a flow restriction in a water flow passage to the shower nozzle and may concurrently cause communication of a port of the valve means down stream of the flow restriction to create a partial vacuum in a soap or materials container to aspirate liquid soap therefrom, through an aspirator tube which extends from a position near the lower-interior of the container to the valve port communicating down stream of said flow restriction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple soap dispensing shower head device wherein a rotating valve member is rotatable on an axis transversally disposed relative to a water flow passage and wherein the rotatable valve member, when in one position, has a notch extending transversally therethrough which coincides with the water flow passage cross-section; said valve when in another position of rotation having a notch transversally thereof, which is rotated to provide a restriction in the cross-section of the flow passage, and to cause a port ex- 3,212,716 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 tending through the rotatable valve member and into the large cross-sectional notch to communicate with the restricted passage down stream thereof, and also, to communicate with a second communicating pass-age for the purpose of creating a partial vacuum in a liquid soap container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel valve mechanism for soap dispensing shower head devices wherein a rotary valve is provided with first and sec.- ond notches disposed transversally of the rotating axis of the valve and substantially in alignment with a water flow passage bore; the first notch being substantially conforming to the cross-sectional dimension of the bore and the second notch being relatively restricted; the rotary valve member also having a port extending from the periphery thereof into communication with one of the notches, whereby rotation of the second notch into flow restricting position in the bore disposes an inner end of the port for soap conducting passage down stream of the restriction to impose a partial vacuum therein.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a soap dispensing shower head device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken from the =1ine 33 of FIG. 2 showing parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration and showing by broken lines the conventional shower water conduit to which the shower head device is connected;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

-As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the soap dispensing shower head device of the present invention is provided with a body 10 which may be made of various materials and which is preferably a casting. This. body 10 is provided with a'flared annular portion 12 in which an annular shower head nozzle valve member 14' is positioned. This member 14 may be substantially conventional and is provided with a peripheral portion 16-spaced from an internal bore 18 of the flared portion 12. This bore 18 may be notched or otherwise provided with flow areas for the dispensation of Water as desired. Thus, water may flow around the periphery 16 of the valve member 14 and through the notches 18 in an annular pattern.

The valve member 14 is provided with an integral hollow shank 20 having external threads 22 screw threaded in an internally screw threaded bore 24 of the body 10.

The portion 20 of the valve 14 is provided with a bore 26' having lateral slots 28 through which water may travel to the periphery 16 of the valve 14. The hollow bore 26 communicates with a flow passage bore 30 in the body 10.

Rotatably mounted on axis transversally of the bore 30 is a valve member 32. This valve member 32 is a rotary valve shown best in FIGS. 4 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings. This valve 32 is provided with a first transversally disposed notch portion 34. This notch portion 34 substantially conforms with the circular cross-section of the bore 30 and when in a position as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, does not restrict the bore 30.

It will be seen from FIG. 4 of the drawings that when the notch portion 34 is in the position as shown in FIG. 6

the bore 30 is unrestricted and will permit the flow of water therethrough to the shower head valve member 14.

T he rotary valve member 32 is provided with a handle 36 which projects outwardly of the body and may be manually operable to pivotally rotate the valve member 32 into and out of either of two positions in accordance with stops 38 and 40 on the side of the body 10 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The valve member 32 when rotated into a position wherein the handle 36 engages the stop 38, it is disposed in the position as shown in FIG. 4 and when the handle 36 is rotated to a position in engagement with the stop 40, the valve member 32 is in a position as shown in FIG. 5.

It will be seen from the drawings that FIGS. 4 and 6 correspond with each other and that FIGS. 5 and 7 correspond with each other as to the relative position of the valve member 32 and the stop positions 38 and 40, repectively.

The valve member 32'is provided with a second notch portion 42 which is narrower than the notch portion 34 and relatively restricted. This notch portion 42 communicates with the notch portion 34 and when the valve member is pivoted so that the handle 36 engages the stop 40, the notch portion 42 will be projected into the bore 30 into a position as shown in FIG. 7 thereby creating a fiow restriction of the passage 30 and creating a low pressure area in the notch portion 34.

An inner end of a soap delivery port 44 communicates with the notch portion 34 and an outer end 46 of the soap delivery port communicates with the periphery 48 of the valve member 32, all as shown best in FIG. 7. The valve member 32 when in the position as shown in FIG. 7 disposes the outer end of the port 46 in communication with a liquid soap flow passage 50 in the body 10. This passage 50 extends to an enlarged bore portion 52 wherein an end 54 of an aspirator tube is secured. This aspirator tube is a hollow tube having a bore 56 which terminates at 58 near the lower interior of a liquid soap container 60 which is provided with neck portion 62 connected to the body 10.

The container 60 may be made of plastic or any other suitable material and the neck portion 62 may have an internal thread 64 engageable with an external thread 66 on a nipple portion 68 of the body 10.

The thread structures 64 and 66 may be equivalent to a bayonet type lock or any other suitable fixture for removably connecting the container onto the nipple portion 68 so that liquid soap may be put in the container 60 at any time desired for replacing the supply therein.

In the operation of the present invention the soap dispensing shower head device is connected to a conventional conduit structure 68 and this structure may be positioned in any suitable area such as a shower stall so that a person may stand or be disposed below the nozzle valve 14 for receiving water therefrom as indicated by arrows A in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

During the initial shower bath operation, the valve member 32 may be disposed in a position wherein the handle 36 is against the stop 40 corresponding to positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 wherein the restricted passage 42 causes a restriction of the water flow passage 30 thereby creating a low pressure area at the inner end 44 of the dispensing port whereby the opposite end 46 of the dispensing port communicates with the passage 50 and the interior of the aspirator tube 54. Thus, the water flowing through the passage 30 creates a partial vacuum at the inner end of the dispensing port, thereby creating sulficient partial vacuum or suction to move the liquid soap or other materials, such as oils, perfume or the like from the inlet end 58 thereof, upwardly therethrough, through the soap dispensing port to its inner end 44 at which point it mixes with water at the low pressure area in the notch 34 down stream of the restricted notch 42.

When the operator or bather has received sufiicient soap in the water dispensed as indicated by arrows A in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the handle 36 may be pivoted to a position adjacent the stop 38 whereupon the notch 34 in the valve member 32 is disposed as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, providing unrestricted flow through the passage 30 of the body 10 and placing the end 46 of the soap dispensing port out of communication with the passage 50 so that the flow of soap through said port is shut off and water flow through the passage 30 is unrestricted. Thus, rinse Water may be dispensed through the passage 30 and the nozzle passages 18 around the nozzle valve 14 so that the shower operation may be finished.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

We claim:

'1. In a materials dispensing shower head device the combination of: a water dispensing nozzle assembly; a first means communicating therewith and disposed to deliver water thereto; a liquid material-s container communicating with said first means; and third means in said first means and communicating with said materials container, said third means adjustable to create a low pressure area in liquid flowing through said first means and disposed to, thus, impose a negative pressure tending to aspirate liquid from said materials container into liquid flowing to said nozzle assembly, whereby materials may be dispensed in shower water through said nozzle assembly; a valve body and water conducting bore structure of said first means; a rotary valve member of said third means having a rotary axis disposed transversally relative to said bore structure; a first transverse notched portion in a peripherial portion of said rotary valve member, said first transverse notched portion communicating with said bore conforming with the cross sectional area of said bore and normally forming an unrestricted part of the flow passage therethrough; a liquid materials delivery port forming a passage in said rotary valve member, said port extending from a peripherial portion of said valve member to said first notched portion, whereby rotation of said notched portion relative to said bore causes restriction of said bore and disposes an end of said port down stream of said restriction, thereby causing a partial vacuum to be imposed in said port; said port communicating with said materials container.

2. In a materials dispensing shower head device the combination of: a water dispensing nozzle assembly; a first means communicating therewith and disposed to deliver water thereto; a liquid materials container communicating with said first means; and third means in said first means and communicating with said materials container, said third means adjustable to create a low pressure area in liquid flowing through said first means and disposed to, thus, impose a negative pressure tending to aspirate liquid from said materials container into liquid flowing to said nozzle assembly, whereby materials may be dispensed in shower water through said nozzle assembly; a valve body and water conducting bore structure of said first means; a rotary valve member having a rotary axis disposed transversally relative to said bore structure; a first transverse notched portion in a peripherial portion of said rotary valve member and communicating with said bore and conforming with the cross sectional area of said bore and forming an unrestricted port of the flow passage therethrough; a second transverse notched portion in said valve member; said second notched portion being restricted relative to said first notched portion; a liquid materials delivery port forming a passage in said rotary valve member; said port extending from a peripherial portion of said valve member to said first notched portion, whereby rotation of said second notched portion into said bore portion causes restriction thereof and disposes an d Of said port down stream of said restriction and causes a partial vacuum to be imposed in said port; said port communicating with said materials container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/37 Paddock 239-315 Kotches 239-318 Faust 239-340 Schneider et a1. 239-407 Wukowitz 239-318 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MATERIALS DISPENSING SHOWER HEAD DEVICE THE COMBINATION OF: A WATER DISPENSING NOZZLE ASSEMBLY; A FIRST MEANS COMMUNICATING THEREWITH AND DISPOSED TO DELIVER WATER THERETO; A LIQUID MATERIALS CONTAINER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST MEANS; AND THIRD MEANS IN SAID FIRST MEANS AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID MATERIALS CONTAINER, SAID THIRD MEANS ADJUSTABLE TO CREATE A LOW PRESSURE AREA IN LIQUID FLOWING THROUGH SAID FIRST MEANS AND DISPOSED TO, THUS, IMPOSE A NEGATIVE PRESSURE TENDING TO ASPIRATE LIQUID FROM SAID MATERIALS CONTAINER INTO LIQUID FLOWING TO SAID NOZZLE ASSEMBLY, WHEREBY MATERIALS MAY BE DISPENSED IN SHOWER WATER THROUGH SAID NOZZLE ASSEMBLY; A VALVE BODY AND WATER CONDUCTING BORE STRUCTURE OF SAID FIRST MEANS; A ROTARY VALVE MEMBER OF SAID THIRD MEANS HAVING A ROTARY AXIS DISPOSED TRANSVERSALLY RELATIVE TO SAID BORE STRUCTURE; A FIRST TRANSVERSE NOTCHED PORTION IN A PERIPHERIAL PORTION OF SAID ROTARY VALVE MEMBER, SAID FIRST TRANSVERSE NOTCHED PORTION COMMUNICATING WITH SAID BORE CONFORMING WITH 